3/14/18 Cohesive Strategy Video Now Available

A video called Cohesive Strategy Stakeholders’ Perspectives -- An Educational Tool for Cohesive Strategy Presenters, Collaborative Organizers & Instructors  is now available.

Fire Response

The Cohesive Strategy workgroup developed the video, subtitled: A Rapid Introduction to the Cohesive Strategy by People Who Use it, to support efforts of people working to promote acceptance and use of the Cohesive Strategy.  Stakeholders appearing in the video were interviewed at the Cohesive Strategy Innovators’ Workshop in Bend, Oregon in 2015.   Dave Butler, a NIFC contract videographer, David Olson (retired, Boise National Forest) and Judith Downing (NIMO PIO) produced the video.   

Managing Human Cause Ignitions

The video, Cohesive Strategy Stakeholders’ Perspectives, is a dynamic, rapid, easy-to-use introduction to the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (Cohesive Strategy). Audiences include wildland fire management stakeholders and others who may initiate or engage in Cohesive Strategy implementation projects.

It can be used whenever it is desirable to provide a rapid overview of the Strategy. The video demonstrates the Strategy’s relevance to the work of land management agencies, non-government organizations, interest groups, and other stakeholders. It can be used as part of public fire education programs; in college, university, and fire academy courses; and as a dynamic introduction to training, workshop, and conference presentations.

Fire resilient landscapes

The video will provide groups with shared basic understandings of the Strategy, so they can begin working from a common starting point.

Fire adapted communities

Read about the details & use of the video here:
https://www.forestsandrangelands.gov/strategy/documents/video/CohesiveStrategyStakeholdersPerspectivesVideoQuickGuide.pdf

See the 5 min trailer of the video here: 

Cohesive Strategy Stakeholders Perspectives Trailer https://youtu.be/9D4_lFjThMk 

See the 10.5 min video here:

Cohesive Strategy Stakeholders Perspectives https://youtu.be/Xy06f0YZPt8 

3/13/18 NIMO Plays Role in Learning Summit

November 6-8, the 2017 Learning Summit was held in McClellan, Calif., at the USDA Forest Service McClellan Wildland Fire Training and Conference Center. The purpose of the Summit was to engage in robust discussions around lessons learned from the 2017 fire season and agree to actions for 2018 which will improve the wildland fire system to more reliably protect responders and the public,

FAM Director Shawna Legarza providing
 her Leader's Intent for the 2017
Learning Summit

sustain communities and conserve the land. 

The intent was to bring together a collective group of senior fire leaders, the National Fire Leadership Council, the Risk Management Council and participants from research, employee representation and other subject matter expert specialists for the opportunity of increasing connectivity and better understanding of lessons learned. 

Several members of the National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) and the National Accelerated Training Program (NATP) were tapped to assist with the meeting to ensure its success. They helped with logistics, acted as facilitators, set up a small group discussion process called World Café, and captured notes which were eventually turned into the attached Summit Overview.

Deputy Chief Vicki Christiansen
 delivering opening remarks during
the 2017 Learning Summit

The desired outcomes of the Summit included bringing energy and alignment around areas of agreement and areas of opportunity for improvement. In addition, a direct and purposeful intent to action for 2018 would be developed around key issues influencing or affecting individual and agency mission success.

The Summit Overview is attached here. Feel free to share or print.

3-8-18 NIMO's Puerto Rico Damage Assessment & Recovery Strategy Complete

Post Hurricane Damage –

El Portal Visitor Center, El Yunque National Forest

The destruction resulting from both Hurricanes Irma and Maria left El Yungue National Forest

(EYNF) and International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) with significant infrastructure and resource damage; damage so severe that, in many cases, regaining full operational capacity will take several years or more.

On October 25, 2017, acting Regional Forester, Ken Arney tasked NIMO IC Joe Reinarz, to assist the EYNF and IITF in compiling a damage assessment summary and coordinated recovery strategy. 

El Yunque NF Hurricane Damage

In an effort to meet this delegation, Joe and NIMO PSC Dana Carter traveled to Puerto Rico where they spent a week working with the staff from both EYNF and IITF to begin gathering prioritized response and recovery needs and developing a Program of Work that would allow both EYNF and IITF to regain full operational capacity.

The Strategic Planning Package developed for this delegation includes a Strategic Project Planner and a Narrative with supporting documentation (i.e. damage assessments developed by EYNF and IITF). A Gantt chart-styled strategic project planner was developed to capture and display the prioritized and phased strategic level activities.

Locals hires clearing 

the right of way

along PR Hwy 191

Prior to leaving Puerto Rico, EYNF, IITF and the Southern Area Regional Office Staff were presented a copy of the draft Strategic Planner and were given time to validate and further develop activities, including the development of cost estimates for the prioritized work. In addition to developing the Strategic Project Planner, a supporting narrative was drafted to describe the strategic planning process used, and includes milestone conditions to help gauge progress throughout the response and recovery efforts.   

(above & below) Potable Water System

 Intakes – Approximately 20% of the 

island of PR’s fresh water supply 

is estimated to originate on EYNF

After leaving Puerto Rico, Joe and Dana continued to engage with the personnel from Puerto Rico and the Southern Area Regional Office. Daily coordination conference calls were attended through the end of the 2017 calendar year; after the first of the year 2018, the call schedule was moved to Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. Additional calls were held to develop a phased approach to measuring accomplishments throughout the response and recovery efforts